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Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Ardbeg Auriverdes: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Ardbeg Auriverdes

It took over TWO YEARS, but finally the Whisk(e)y Wednesday Leader Board has a new top dog: Ardbeg Auriverdes Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($23 at Lock & Key). Dethroning the Jefferson Presidential Select 18 Year proved to be no small task, but we also knew that it eventually might fall. Signifying both the Ardbeg colors of gold and green as well as the colors of Brazil, which hosted the 2014 World Cup, Auriverdes presents a special release for Ardbeg which came out just in time for the great sporting event. The whisky uses special "fire casks" that are toasted just for Ardbeg to create a signature flavor in this expression. And boy does it make a difference! Right away on the nose you get whiffs of salty, smoky, maple cured bacon. It smells like an old Scotsman's kitchen while his wife is at Church. The country breakfast aroma gives rise to the flavor profile which continues the superb representation of smoked meats with the addition of freshly roasted coffee. A little sugar and sea salt chime into the breakfast blend. With a drop of water the whisky opens up with some honey blossoms and oak. The long mouth-coating finish goes down like a pig, stuffed with barley, trying to swim in the turbulent salty sea. A gentle burn greets the oinker on the way down. The Ardbeg Auriverdes is expertly balanced with a complexity that is all its own. A glimmering cornucopia of magnificent magic awaits the lucky owners of only 1,110 cases which were produced. Need to try it? Get to Lock & Key now.

Also, Flight School at Lock & Key happens this evening with Arthur Lauck from 6:00-8:00pm. They are putting together a very affordable flight to take your whiskey knowledge to new heights while your taste buds soar! Go check it out and learn more about whiskey!

Ardbeg AuriverdesAverage Score: 94.67

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, and Jordan Lewis from tommysTV. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.